The US economic expansion has just become the second longest on record. If it continues beyond mid-2019, it will be number one. Its longevity is probably due to a mixture of circumstances, judgement and luck. The severity of the recession following the global financial crisis (GFC), coupled with the slowness... Show More

Last week, the White House announced tariffs on imported steel and aluminum of 25% and 10% respectively – a move that sparked global indignation and threats of a trade war. But tariffs are more common than you may imagine. Show More

You would have seen the images: identikit tower blocks reaching for the skies; skeletal cranes standing idle; lifeless apartment blocks amid the detritus of construction. Photo editors used to turn to these images to illustrate China's so-called 'ghost cities'. Of late, they seem increasingly apt in indicating a broader malaise:... Show More

India's new government completed its first 100 days in power on September 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was swept into office earlier this year on a wave of euphoria amid hopes the former tea-seller from the state of Gujarat will rescue an economy that in recent years has hopelessly lagged... Show More

Dr Nouriel Roubini says a number of risks to economic growth have declined over the last year, but the risk for advanced economies remains on the downside. Speaking at Aberdeen Asset Management's Investment Conference in New York, Roubini said risks such as a Eurozone collapse, deflation in the US and... Show More

Trends in sentiment and volatility suggest complacency. One of the consequences of central bank policies may be markets characterised by low levels of volatility. Some financial commentators have even talked about the death of volatility. At the same time, investor sentiment has hit bullish 10-year highs last witnessed in August... Show More